This invention relates to a liquid chromatography and an apparatus using the same.
In chromatographic separation of samples having complicated compositions such as proteins, peptides, and DNA into the respective components, aqueous solutions of salts which leave a large amount of involatile powder as such when subjected to drying under reduced pressure, for example, a phosphate buffer, etc., are used as eluting solutions. Thus, the ultimate products are obtained in the form of mixtures containing a trace amount of desired components in a large amount of phosphates, necessitating further separating operations such as solvent extraction, centrifuge, etc. to isolate the desired component, and thus complicating the separation procedure. Furthermore, if the amount of the fractionated solution is large, the yield will be lowered. It will take about one week to obtain 90% yield, whereas only about 50% yield is obtained a one-day operation.
Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-open) No. 60-29664 discloses a liquid chromatographic art of saving the amount of an eluting solution, based on fractionated recovery, by detecting the rise points and the end points of the respective peaks of components in an eluate by means of a detector, discharging fractions of eluate corresponding to the peak regions by means of a three-way switch valve, and recovering for reuse those eluate fractions that have no adverse effect on the background. discloses
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No 4,070,284 discloses an art of accumulating and concentrating desired components contained in a large amount of a sample solution in a low concentration by means of a plurality of detachable concentration columns in advance and then passing the concentrated solutions through a liquid chromatographic separation column.